The Left Behind and Unwanted
by Emrys MK
Summary: Hogwarts has long been abandoned as a school, but it still has inhabitants. Will they be discovered?


**Title**: The Left Behind and Unwanted  
**Author**: Sev1970/MK Malfoy  
**Date**: December 19, 2006  
**Characters** Harry Potter/Severus Snape, OFC, OMC  
**Summary**: Hogwarts has long been abandoned as a school, but it does still have inhabitants. Will they be discovered?  
**Words**: 5,488  
**Warnings**: None  
**Rating**: R  
**Disclaimer**: I own nothing Harry Potter related. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Inc., Warner Bros., and any other entities involved.  
**Author's Note**: This is a gift fic for Magdelena, who beta'd/edited this fic :-) - what can I say?

**~*~**

Leon and Gemma approached the path that would lead them to the large gate, and looked in awe towards the dwelling looming before them: the magnificent structure perched on a cliff, protected by a vast body of water, a dense-looking forest, and a rusted gate that creaked when the wind blew. The two had known about the castle for as long as they could remember, hearing about it when they came to visit their grandfather.

They, along with their friends, had spent hours standing in the exact spot they found themselves today, making up stories about what they imagined had taken place there. As much as they had always wanted to explore it, their parents had forbidden them to do so, saying it was haunted, and that there had been several murders there a few decades earlier. There were the brave kids who emphatically insisted they had been inside and had seen ghosts, and had heard voices, but of course, being kids, no one had given those statements much credence. There was no proof that anyone had ever been inside. Although, what object could serve as proof that someone had been inside? It wasn't as if anyone knew what the inside looked like.

It had been a month since Leon and Gemma had moved into the old house on the hill with their mother and father. Their grandfather had died, leaving the house to their mum. So now, instead of seeing the ancient castle perhaps twice a year, the two saw it daily – it was the perfect catalyst for their make-believe games where they pretended that they were being chased by vampires and werewolves. However, because of bad weather, today was the first time the two had been able to approach the castle since their move. It looked as foreboding as it had the first time they had ever seen it, yet it was also as enticing as ever. No matter what their parents said, there was something about the old castle that was calling to them, and the two of them, well, at least Gemma, were determined to gain entrance before the summer hols were over.

"I don't know, Gemma. Maybe we shouldn't be doing this; Mum will be furious with us if she finds out. You know she told us to stay away from here. It's getting late, anyway. I don't fancy being here by that forest when it's dark out." Leon had never felt easy being around here. He did want to get inside, but there was something about the forest that he didn't like. Many a night he'd been kept awake by disquieting noises that he was almost positive had come from the forest by the castle.

Gemma rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Buck up, baby brother. If you want to go home, go, but keep your mouth shut. I'm going in. Richard said—"

Not one to back down from a challenge, Leon sighed. "You're really annoying, you know that? Fine; I'll go, but I don't have a good feeling about this. You owe me."

Gemma laughed and shook her head. "Come on, Leon; what's the worst that can happen? We get a bit spooked? Look at it: it's just a big old castle; looks like it hasn't been taken care of in years. And think of it – you can tell Mary where you were this weekend; she would think it impressive, would she not? I know you want in her pants. This just might get you there."

Leon glared at his sister as he stalked past her and began traversing the long path that would lead them to the immense gate before them. "And this has nothing to do with Mary's brother? Of course, he's already been in your pants, but you're afraid that bird, Marjorie, is going to steal your bloke. So you decide to play the brave grown-up that you surely aren't, all to get him to keep you warm at night."

"Shut up, Leon. You are so annoying, you know that?" Gemma said as she ran past her brother after shoving him, and slowed down as she approached the huge locked gate that prevented their entrance. "Bloody gate! There has to be a way to get past it," the frustrated girl said as she kicked the rusting iron. There was a huge sign, worn with age, the words: _No Trespassing_ in bold black letters, on it. "If I could only climb over, but everyone else says they've tried, and it doesn't work." Grabbing the huge iron bars that made up the gate, Gemma shook it, as if her movements would jar the large lock loose. It didn't.

"Maybe if we had a boat, we could approach it from the lake," Leon mused as he walked away from the gate, trying to get a better view of the vast body of water surrounding the castle, trying to decide if he was actually going to try to gain access to the eerie-looking castle. Studying it, he wondered what had happened in the building's past that had caused the damage to one of the towers: its battlements and ramparts had been noticeably altered from their original design, or so that was the conclusion he came to when comparing the damaged-looking tower to the other towers.

Hadn't his mother said there had been murders here? Leon had known this was a bad idea, and now it seemed like a downright foolish one, but Gemma was right: Mary would be all over him if he were the one who found out how to get inside. Yes, generations of people had failed to enter the castle, but Leon was gaining confidence by the second. He would find a way in, no matter how long it took.

In the past, they had only had a few hours to think about trying to gain entrance, but now that they lived here, Gemma and he would have plenty of time to explore different options about the best way to gain entrance to the castle. That being the case, Leon looked towards the sun and knew they'd have to leave and return in the morning; it was getting dark and he was not fool enough to be out on the cliff or near the lake or forest when it was dark out. "Come on, Gem, we'll come back tomorrow. You are daft; we all know that, but surely you're not willing to be out here after the sun sets."

**~*~**

The next afternoon, clothes soaking wet, and after snarling at one another for three hours, Leon and Gemma found themselves at the foot of the hill where the castle stood in all her majesty.

"We did it! We're here," Gemma yawned out as she went to step out of the boat onto the dock. It was a rather long trek up the hill, she figured, but after all they had gone through to get to this point, she didn't care how far it was. "Let's go."

When they reached the giant oak door, Gemma was out of breath, so she sat on the ground and looked around in wonderment. "It looks larger than it did; I guess it's because parts of it were hidden in the shadows. How old do you suppose it is?"

Leon looked around and shook his head. "Dunno. Grandfather told me it's been here for a long time, though."

"Won't it be lovely if we can get in and look around? Oh, I do hope we can get in," said Gemma, excitedly.

"Well, if we sit around here, we won't, so let's get on with it; Mum will be suspicious if we aren't back by tea."

Gemma stood and stretched as she looked above her at the immense walls that rose above her. The castle was quite majestic, looking almost sacred, she mused, but not so much so that she was willing to forego this adventure to try to get inside. "Okay, let's go."

They approached the giant oak door and Leon took hold of the massive iron ring and pulled on it, hoping it would open. It didn't give, not at first, but after a few more attempts, the giant door began to creak, and slowly, it opened into overwhelming darkness. Within seconds, two torches made a slight dent in the otherwise complete blackness that dwarfed them, but even with the light, only a small area of space was visible in front of Leon and Gemma.

There were stone benches on either side of the giant door, and as Gemma and Leon raised their torches, their wide eyes fell upon multiple marble staircases that led to the upper floors from each side of the room. The two walked straight ahead and entered a larger room, which appeared empty. Gemma turned to her right, and Leon, to his left, both shining their torches in every possible direction, finding nothing but stone walls, cobwebs, and more benches lining the walls. Gemma approached her brother and the two reentered the room they had been in previously, then the two began ascending one of the staircases. The immense walls were barren, and when the two reached the first floor, the corridors were the same.

Leon looked up and shook his head. "It's so quiet in here now, but I'd bet a tenner that at one time this place was full of life."

Gemma ran up another staircase, and when she found herself on the second floor, she shined the torch down at her brother. "And death. I bet they kept prisoners in the dungeons. Oh, let's go down there and see what it looks like."

Leon laughed. "You read too much, Gem."

"I wonder if they beheaded people here?"

"As I said, you read too much. Well, come on, let's go down there and see if we can find anything; there's nothing up here. We don't have long before tea; we can come back tomorrow."

Within a few minutes, the two were headed to the dungeons, and besides some areas which looked like someone had had a fire going, and other than a few creaking noises which were probably caused by water leaking somewhere, the dungeons were just as empty as the above floors. It was vastly cooler and damper, however.

Gemma wrapped her arms around her as she continued looking around. It was eerie down here – much more so than the upper floors. Yes, something had happened down here, that much she knew. Shining the torch at her watch, she gasped. "Um, we should be going. Dad is coming home tonight, and I don't want Mum having to tell him we've been out late; he'll know where we've been."

Ascending the stone stairs, the two hurried their pace and didn't slow until they had reached the small boat they had found earlier moored by the dock across the lake by the abandoned depot. They made it across the lake, ran up the hill, and made it home with five minutes to spare. Breathing heavily, the two shared a conspiratorial grin, knowing the following day was going to find them exploring more of the castle. They hoped to find something other than blank walls and a chilly dungeon.

**~*~**

Harry sat alone, shivering as his eyes darted around the dark room. He was frozen in place, literally and figuratively. That had been far too close for comfort; had the two stayed for a few minutes more, they would have discovered him. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if the Muggles realised there was someone in the castle.

As another chill passed through him, Harry closed his eyes and leant his head against the wall in the corner where he was huddled. It was colder than usual, but he couldn't be fussed to light a fire.

A few more minutes passed before he stood and wrapped the quilt around him tighter and exited the room. It was so dark… too dark, even for him. Casting _Lumos_, he sighed, hoping it was safe to venture out. Hogwarts should not be allowing Muggles' entrance, but she was. What Harry wanted to know, was why? It had been his haven for two decades.

How could it be that twenty years had come and gone since he had defeated Voldemort? Time had gone far too quickly, and sadly, Harry had nothing much to show for it. He was older, had grey streaks in his hair, was gaining a fair few wrinkles, had developed a thicker than wanted mid-section, and felt the chill and ache in his every movement. Yet, for all that had changed, he felt very much the same ill-prepared student who had stood and watched helplessly as Albus Dumbledore died twenty-one years earlier. Harry had not worked a day since he had initially left Hogwarts, and even as he couldn't work now because of where he was, and why he was there, he still felt as if he was a failure. But, it had been his choice, and there was no going back now.

The wizarding world as he had known it in1998 had been a vastly different one from the current state of affairs in 2018. Now there were very few wizards from The United Kingdom, and the ones remaining had fled to the far corners of the Muggle world, beginning new lives that conformed to what _society_ expected from them.

Harry had remained behind; there had been nowhere for him to go. He knew nothing of any significance about the world he would have been thrust into, and he wouldn't have known where to go if he had tried. His home was now Hogwarts: the once bustling castle that was now an empty shell. Oh yes, the portraits still lined the walls; there were still classrooms full of desks and books; the library still contained all the same tomes it once had; the Great Hall still held the tables as it had, the benches sitting there as if awaiting the next term to begin for the throngs of students to sit on them. There was still the gargoyle that led to the Headmaster's office, and there was still the Owlery, long ago abandoned.

What there was not, were witches and wizards. Well, there were two, but that was it. Hogwarts, once the most prestigious school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world, filled each term with almost three-hundred students, was now nothing more than a rat-infested home for the left behind and unwanted.

Hearing familiar footsteps, Harry stepped into the corridor, walked to the end of it, and smiled; something he rarely did. "I was beginning to think you had finally decided to take your chances with the Muggles."

"As enticing a thought that idea may be, my predisposition for that insignificant thing we call magic, keeps me here with you… as depressing a thought as that might be." Lowering the bag he was holding to the floor, the taller man then looked back at Harry. "It took me longer than expected to find us something to eat. I thought I would roast a chicken, and for dessert, we will have the crisps I found as I was walking by the lake. It appears we've had visitors again; they left their provisions behind when they fled."

Harry sighed as he sat on the bottom step leading to the entrance hall and looked at the concerned look on the face staring down at him. He was such a failure and didn't know why the other bothered. "They got in today." He knew this was not news the other man was going to be happy about, and he was right.

"It was that insufferably irritating man's grandchildren, was it not?"

"Yep. They came down here. Before they reached the room, they left, thankfully. I'm sorry. How is it they could get in?"

"You need not apologise for that which you have no control over, Potter. As for your question, it is doubtful you want to hear the answer."

Harry sighed and looked around him, wondering once again why anyone bothered with him. "Yeah, well, tell me anyway; it's been twenty years and no one has entered even once before today. I want to know why." An expressionless Harry stood up, picked up the bag, and began walking to their room, and when they were inside, he shut the door. Setting the bag down on the table, Harry sat in a chair and shivered, looking up at the sallow face in front of him, waiting for the answer.

"You are pathetic, do you know that? Why must you insist on slowly killing yourself by refusing to keep warm? You are ill and are worsening by the day. I do not wish to live alone; if you indeed care for me as you say you do, you will not leave me, understood?" He sometimes thought Harry had a death wish, with his refusal to take care of himself. It was freezing, and his damnable young hero whom he loved for some unfathomable reason, was about as responsive as a rock these days, his eyes dull, his voice soft and bereft of feeling.

Harry retrieved his wand, pointed it at the grate, started a fire, and replied with his usual _void of emotion_ voice. "Understood. Now tell me why they got in."

"You should know this, Potter, but then again, your abilities as a student left much to be desired. The castle's magic is fading."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and looked questioningly at the pale figure in front of him. What a sight they must look, that is if others ever saw them together. "But we're okay, right? We can still do magic… anywhere… right?" He sounded much more confident than he felt. There was something wrong. "Tell me we're okay." His voice was now shaking, and he couldn't control it.

"Our signatures will be able to be read soon if they are not already being read; it is only a matter of time before they find us. We've been fortunate for twenty years, but it appears as if our time has run out."

Harry gasped and then asked if that meant Muggles would be able to see them; the thought of it scared him for some reason. Hogwarts was supposed to be impenetrable to non-magic folk unless allowed entrance. There was no way of knowing what would happen if they were discovered, but it wouldn't be anything good, that much Harry knew. He felt safe at Hogwarts, even with it being abandoned by everyone else years ago; it was his refuge from the world, the same as it was Severus Snape's refuge.

Severus sat down and beckoned the still shivering Harry to him. Cradling the smaller man in his lap, Severus wrapped his arms around his young – at least younger than him – lover and kissed him until they both were breathless. Regaining his ability to speak, he caressed Harry's cheek. "If the children had entered this room, they would have seen you. Most of the castle will most likely remain impenetrable for the foreseeable future, but the amount of magic required to hide wizards is no longer available, I am afraid. It was inevitable; however, I was hoping the magic would last until we died."

Harry looked at Severus and then reached up and kissed him again. He had so many questions about this latest threat to their lives, but for now, he needed reassurance. He and Severus ended up lying on the quilt, and the chicken, now under a cooling charm, lay on the table awaiting a meal it would eventually provide, but not tonight.

"Nothing lasts forever, I guess," Harry said in a mere whisper as he rested his head against the broad chest beneath his and played with the black robe underneath his hands. Kissing Severus again, Harry felt the bulge beneath him swelling, and he smiled; it would happen tonight. He found his wand and had him and Severus naked within seconds. He wouldn't give _this_ up in exchange for anything. He loved his life; it was lonely much of the time, and he knew his mind was seriously messed up, but at least he had Snape.

Harry said nothing as he prepared Severus, who had turned over on his side to give Harry easier access. Not even a slight moan escaped the silent man as he was being made ready for the large cock that would soon be buried inside him – it was always this way; it frustrated Harry because it made him think he was a bad lover, yet Severus never turned him away so Harry decided this was better than nothing. Besides, within a few minutes, he'd have the man screaming. When Harry was ready, he motioned for Severus to turn back over and lift his legs, and in two thrusts, Harry was inside Severus. He then pulled out and sank back in, again and again, each thrust bringing forth moans and incoherent babble from both men. This went on for quite a while; neither man had the energy they had once possessed, and Harry was well on his way to impotency, but they still managed to make love occasionally. Harry was determined to make this one of their better times. He needed it – he needed to feel that exquisite euphoria which he felt when he heard and felt Severus shudder beneath him. His own orgasms, which were not always a guaranteed result these days, were nice… very nice indeed, but it was hearing and seeing the man beneath him writhing and screaming in ecstasy that really drove Harry mad. It happened so rarely these days. Most of the time, they only managed a bit of frottage.

It took them a long time… if it had been twenty years earlier, there would have been six orgasms in the time it now took for the two. When it finally happened, both men had tears in their eyes. They didn't need magic and they didn't need Hogwarts. All they needed was each other.

**~*~  
Twenty Years Later  
~*~**

"Do you ever regret not going to France to join Fleur and Bill?" Severus asked, interrupting Harry's far away stare, one which took him away more and more these days.

Harry looked beside him and tried smiling, but failed. He shook his head. No, that was one thing he didn't regret. He regretted many other things, but never that. "My life is here in Scotland; I couldn't give that up, even if that meant I was going to be caught and imprisoned, or left magic-less. I decided not to run, and I've never regretted my decision. What about you? You could have gone to live with Madam Pince when she went to Germany."

Severus's face fell as he stared at the ground. This was not a subject he cared to think about. "No, I couldn't have. She was here because she had no choice, but you know how it hurt her to be near me; I would have only brought her misery had I gone with her, reminding her of a sister she no longer had, because of me. No, my place has always been here, in Scotland."

Harry grasped the older man's hands in his and coaxed Severus to look at him again. "Are you sorry we did what we did?"

Severus leant back and closed his eyes. It had been twenty years, twenty of the longest years of his life, but also, twenty of the happiest years he had ever known. It had been the hardest thing he had ever done, but he had done it because it was the only thing he could do. He had already stated he would never give up Harry, but it had been only a matter of time once the castle was visible to Muggles that they would have been found. There was no guessing what might occur after that; they would have been used as guinea pigs, that much, Severus had known, so he and Harry had decided they would rather live without magic than risk being caught and paraded against their will.

Severus had cried as he removed Harry's magic: the most powerful wizard he had ever known, reduced to a squib, had upset Severus more than he thought possible. When he had tested Harry, and when the receptacle that had once funneled that magnificent power, failed to produce the slightest spark, Severus had grabbed the younger man and had repeated how sorry he was, both men sobbing at what had been lost, not yet wanting to think what they had gained. They had fallen asleep in that same position, and in the middle of the night when Severus awoke, he removed his own magic, not wanting Harry to witness it. He had then pointed his wand at himself and said _Avada__Kedavra_. When nothing happened, he cried some more. How could he and Harry live without magic?

It had taken a long time for the two to become accustomed to not having the ability to do magic, especially when they thought of their friends in the other parts of the world who were still doing magic as they always had, even if it was in secret. It was depressing living outside of Hogwarts among the Muggles and having to pretend they were no different from the other inhabitants of the village, but it was an irreversible choice they had made, and they had to live with it.

Severus came back from his musings and smiled as he shook his head. "No, I am not sorry we did what we did. Me? I could have faced anything… anything other than seeing you being used, and that is exactly what would have happened to you. Taking your magic from you broke me, but I will always do whatever I must to keep you in my life."

"I love you, Severus." Harry looked as happy as he could, and allowed a slight smile to grace his face.

"I don't deserve it."

"Yeah, I know, but for some reason, I do." Harry looked at his watch and sighed. "I gotta go; my shift starts in half an hour. Don't wait up. I'll wake you when I get in."

Severus nodded and forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I don't like you working in that part of the village; it's not safe. You are not strong enough to defend yourself properly if attacked."

"I know, Severus, but it was the only place I could find work, so we really don't have a choice. I'm always careful, so don't worry so much." Harry leant over and kissed Severus. "Perhaps tonight will be a good night for us," Harry said as he winked. "I've missed you, and I can hear you in the loo. I'm sorry. You deserve someone who can be a proper lover to you."

Chuckling, Severus leant in and whispered in Harry's ear. "Now, Mr Potter, if not for you, who would take care of my cock when it is full of need for you, and if not for you, who would be there to make me harder than I ever was for the first thirty-nine years of my life? I do not want to hear another word about your inability to please me; you please me every morning by waking up in my arms."

Standing up, Harry genuinely smiled as he let go of Severus's hand. "You love me, don't you?"

More than he wanted to admit, and more than he had ever admitted before. "More than my life, Harry," Severus replied, knowing Harry needed to hear that. It didn't upset Severus that it was the truth. He did love the brat.

Harry turned and left, words unable to form in his throat. This was how it was every time he left for work.

**~*`~  
Twenty Years Later  
~*~**

The small former wizarding village known as Hogsmeade had retained the same name, which was quite extraordinary. Severus and Harry couldn't figure out how an all-wizarding village only accessible by those with magical abilities, now stood as a Muggle village, but whatever the reason, it did. Harry and Severus stood off in the distance watching as the large crowd departed the large building on the cliff. A large sign at the entrance alerted passers-by that this new establishment was the _Hogsmeade Bed and Breakfast_.

Severus's face, which he had tried to keep emotionless, tightened, and he felt angry. "I can't believe Hogwarts has been desecrated as it has; we should have known those kids would be the ruin of what was once sacred ground for us. It's sickening what they have done with it."

Harry took Severus's shaking hand in his, and ran his thumb over it. "Yeah, well, we knew it wouldn't remain ours forever, Severus." Harry was no longer as maudlin as he had been; he was beginning to accept that his world had forever changed. He didn't like it, but that didn't seem to matter. If he wanted to live as he was, he had to accept the change.

"It will always be ours, Harry. They can do whatever they want with it; they can make it as Muggle as they want to. It will forever be ours, however. It has not been our home for forty years, but it is always going to be the place where I fell in love with you. They can tear it down and it can become one with the earth again. No matter what happens, it is ours, and no one will ever take that from us, ever."

Harry nodded as he stared ahead at the dispersing crowd. "Why did you stay with me when everyone else left? The truth this time, Severus," Harry said solemnly as his gaze traveled to Severus, who looked as if he had lost his best mate. "There was no reason for you to."

Severus turned away from the monstrosity that once had been his home, and looked into Harry's eyes. The truth… yes, Harry did deserve to know. Severus had lied in the past regarding this question; he would not do so today. "I knew you needed help. When you killed Voldemort, something in you changed and we all knew you were not in your right mind. When you refused to leave Hogwarts, I told Minerva I would stay and convince you to go. I failed," Severus finished, a far away look in his eyes.

"Did you ever truly love me, or was it just something you said to get me to bugger you?"

Severus laughed, and it reached his eyes. "I must confess that initially, buggering you satisfied my physical needs and nothing more. I was lonely and you knew how to please me, so I figured why not? Over the years, when I could have left, but didn't want to, I realised my feelings for you must have changed. I don't know how, when, or why, but they did. I don't know, perhaps it was out of necessity, but I came to love you, and now if anything were to happen to you, I'd not survive. You are all I have, Harry. I have never pretended to be a romantic, and you know more than anyone just how truthful that statement to be, but if loving you, and if needing you, is romantic, then I guess I can be called a romantic. Ninety-nine years old, and your former professor finally admits it. I can hear you cheering."

"Oh you can, can you? I think you could feel me cheering, as well, if you wanted to." Harry grabbed Severus's hand and placed it on his bulging jeans. "Well, I guess this can be classified as a special occasion: Severus Snape admitted to being a romantic; I'm going to call in sick to work. You and I have plans."

"Oh? And just what, might I ask, are our plans?" Severus asked, increasing his hold on the front of Harry's much too tight jeans.

"I'm going to bugger you into the bed if that is alright with you."

Eyebrow raised, Severus smiled. "Quite alright by me, love."

**~*~  
****The**** End  
~*~**


End file.
